After the nail-biting election back in November, the results were finalized and former President-elect Joe Biden has now taken his spot in Washington D.C. as the new President of the United States. Though there have been many controversies surrounding the election results, the Biden office is hoping this will be a smooth transition.

When talking with upperclassmen from the Joliet West campus the week prior to the Inauguration, junior Madisyn Williams expressed she is very passionate about the topic and is making time to be sure she watches the Inauguration.
“I believe this is an important event in history that will be taught to future generations because this is something that has never happened and it is something to look back at and ask how it happened,” Williams stated when speaking about Kamala Harris entering office as Vice President and being the first female in the position. 

Following the Capitol attacks surrounding the finalization of the election, students who shared their feelings were anxious to see how the Inauguration would turnout. Senior Trevor Gould specifically spoke about the issues arising in the Capitol stating, “I wish that people could just come together and put aside their differences so things like the Capitol riots can never happen again.”

Social media was flooded with mixed messages regarding the events at the Capitol as well as the upcoming Inauguration and the non-traditional transfer of power as former President Donald Trump chose not to be in attendance at the Inauguration. The former President officially made the announcement on his Twitter page the week prior, before the suspension of the account, stating, “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.” This makes him the fourth sitting President to not do so in U.S. history. 

Though President Joe Biden did not have the support of the current president in person, it was shared that he left a “generous letter” for President Biden in the Oval Office. Former Vice-president Mike Pence chose to attend the Inauguration and miss his partners personal send-off before he departed to his new residence at Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida. 

At the stroke of noon on the 20th, President-Elect Biden, officially became the new President of the United States of America. This marks the start of a new era and the first 100 days will be something the country will keep a close eye on after promises to fight the Covid-19 outbreak and get it controlled, as well as signing seventeen executive orders were his first orders of business.

The excitement continues with the transfer of powers not only for the presidents but also the vice-presidents as the new Vice President Kamala Harris is the first female in the position and the first person of color to serve in the role. 

With the hectic atmosphere surrounding politics in general, all officials hope for a smooth and cooperative transition, but only time will tell what will happen in the first few days and for the first term of the 46th president Joe Biden.